Question 1

Is FortisBudget really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. FortisBudget is free with no subscription fees, no premium tier, and no credit card required. Every feature is available to every user at no charge.

Question 2

Does FortisBudget connect to my bank account?

Accepted Answer

No. FortisBudget is a manual-entry budgeting app by design. We never ask for your bank credentials, never connect to financial institutions, and never import transactions automatically. This is a deliberate security and privacy decision.

Question 3

How is FortisBudget different from YNAB?

Accepted Answer

FortisBudget is a free, manual-entry budgeting app with envelope-style category budgets and no bank linking. Other budgeting apps may charge subscriptions; check their sites for current pricing.

Question 4

How is FortisBudget different from Mint?

Accepted Answer

Mint (now discontinued) aggregated your bank accounts automatically and supported itself with ads and financial product referrals. FortisBudget takes a different approach: no bank connections, no ads, and no selling of your data. You enter transactions manually, which builds genuine financial awareness.

Question 5

Is my financial data safe in FortisBudget?

Accepted Answer

Your data is stored in Google Firebase (Firestore) under your account with per-user security rules, and is encrypted in transit and at rest by Google. We never ask for bank credentials and never sell your data. If you enable optional AI insights, a summary of your monthly spending is sent to Anthropic (Claude API). See the Privacy Policy for details.

Question 6

Can I import transactions from my bank?

Accepted Answer

Yes. While FortisBudget is built for manual entry, you can import transactions via CSV export from your bank. Use the Import button in the Expenses tab, map your CSV columns, and your transactions will be loaded into your account.

Question 7

What are Savings Vaults?

Accepted Answer

Savings Vaults are discrete savings goals within FortisBudget — for example, an Emergency Fund, a Vacation fund, or a Car Repair fund. Each vault has a monthly contribution target and an optional ceiling amount. Vault balances are tracked separately from your spendable budget.

Question 8

Can I use FortisBudget on my phone?

Accepted Answer

Yes. FortisBudget is fully mobile-responsive and works in modern mobile and desktop browsers. You can also add it to your home screen for an app-like experience without downloading from an app store.

Question 9

Does FortisBudget show ads or sell my data?

Accepted Answer

No. FortisBudget has no ads and does not sell or monetize user data in any way. The app is free and open source, maintained as a public service.

Question 10

What budgeting method does FortisBudget use?

Accepted Answer

FortisBudget supports envelope-style budgeting with unlimited custom categories, a configurable Savings Shield (a percentage of income reserved for savings), and individual Savings Vaults for specific goals. It's flexible enough to support zero-based budgeting, 50/30/20 splits, or any custom allocation.